


Red, Yellow, Blue

by Kpooping



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Cute ??, Fluff, Hanging Out, Hunk is the good reasonable guy, Keith can't pronounce 'L', Kid Hunk, Kindergarten - AU, M/M, Making Friends, Voltron kids, harmless bickering, kid keith, kid lance, lil bit of angst, mostly cute, they're kids oh goD
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-26
Updated: 2016-09-26
Packaged: 2018-08-17 12:58:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,675
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8144893
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kpooping/pseuds/Kpooping
Summary: "Hunk." "Yes, Lance?" The boy whispers, chewing around his sandwich, bread crumbs stuck to his plump lips. "Why is that girl staring at me?" Lance whispers, voice full with child like curiosity and he squints back at the girl with long black hair and purple eyes."Lance...That's a boy."





	

**Author's Note:**

> oh miiiii gOOODDDDD has 3 fics to write
> 
> writes something else entirely 
> 
> fuck
> 
> but i enjoyed writing thIS HOPE YOU ENJOY READING IT TOO

It wasn't like Lance was envious of Hunk. He was barely eight, he had no idea what the word meant but there was something itching his teeny tiny heart every time Hunk brought new toys on their play dates. Was it a new shiny car, donkey plushie or little figurines; Hunk always shone with pride to show Lance his new toys, blabbering about them as if he had studied a whole Wikipedia page about it.   
  
This time, he brought three lions.  
  
"Woah! Are these some kind of robot lions?!" Lance gasps, immediately going for the blue one. He grabbles it in his small hand, petite fingers wrapping around the body and he brought it close to his face to inspect it.   
  
"Yeah!" Hunk confirms, sits down adjacent of Lance and pushes his stumpy legs forward. His chubby hand takes the yellow one, slightly bigger than the one Lance was gushing about. "They're a part of the collection! I c-couldn't find the rest two." His face gets sad, plump cheeks puffing out as he pouted.   
  
Lance leans into him, consoling his best friend by rubbing his meaty arm. "Hey, it doesn't matter! Those are amazing." He confirms and grins a toothy smile of his, front teeth slightly chipped, gap wide enough to push a finger through it. 

Hunk immediately beams. "I thought that these could be our friendship toys. Y-you know, y-you take the blue and I'll take yellow." He murmurs, and Lance's eyes go wide, like two walnuts.   
  
"You'd give me it?!" He shrieks silently, squeezing his fingers around the toy. Oh boy! His toys were never as cool as Hunk's, so owning something like _this_ could probably change his whole life.   
  
"Y-yeah." Hunk smiles shyly, big cheeks bunching up with the strength of his smile. "I know how much you love robots."   
  
"I love robots." Lance repeats; his face is glowing, he's smiling so wide his cheeks hurt and dimples hollow his cheeks. He can't wait to tell his mom about it! "What about the red lion?"  
  
Hunk shrugs, reaching out to take the remaining toy and put the smallest lion on it's legs. "If we ever m-meet another friend to join our c-club, we will give him the red lion!"  
  
  
They play the whole afternoon, until the sun paints the sky orange, and then flirtatious red and finally, soothing purple and dark blue. They don't even notice, they're so caught up making scenarios about the lion robots. They're in space, flying from planet to planet! Then they're fighting the evil (Lance's torn bunny plushie), then fighting against each other, then finally bringing peace to Earth. They've might as well came up with a movie script.   
  
It's not until Lance's mom enters the room and tells them it's time to go. Lance whines because _mom, please, just a little bit moooooore.  
  
_ She shakes her head with a soft chuckle. "Lance, it's getting late. You will see Hunk tomorrow in kindergarten." She reminds, and that somewhat soothes Lance.  
  
He walks Hunk out, where his mom is waiting. They hug one last time; Hunk's hugs are his favorite. Big and warm and cuddly and he doesn't want to let go. They say their bye's, and so do their lions, and soon enough Lance is shooed into a bubble bath and never does he leave the blue lion out of his hold.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
He wakes up to a gentle touch to his shoulder. It's his mom, holding his baby brother on her hip, and his younger sister by the hand. Lance doesn't want to go, he groans and cries into the pillow for a while.   
  
"Hunk's waiting for you! Wouldn't he be sad if he found out you didn't wanna come?" She tries to coax him into getting up. Lance quickly jumps out of the sheets and runs towards the bathroom to wash his teeth.   
  
  
It's an hour later and his mother is parking behind the Kindergarten, lining up behind some other cars. She hands Lance his rucksack, which he flings over his shoulder.  
  
"Is my lion there?!" He gasps worriedly, forgetting he had asked this five times already.   
  
"Yes, love." His mother laughs, and leans over to give his forehead a kiss. "You didn't forget your lunch box, did you?"  
  
"Nope, má!"  
  
"Good boy." She murmurs, watching him slide out of the passenger seat. "Have a nice day, I love you, cariño."  
  
"I love you too, mamá!" Lance yells and giggles, closing the door carefully. He turns around and runs towards the gate, not feeling his mother's lingering gaze on his small jumping shoulders, until he disappears out of sight.   
  
  
  
He barely waits for recess. As soon as the kindergarten teachers proclaims their break, Lance jumps off the stood and practically drags Hunk towards the matted flooring, planned for children's playing sessions.   
  
Hunk barely has time to grab his Dexter lunch box.   
  
"I t-thought of the names for the lions!" Lance gasps with joy, unzipping his bag and taking his blue lion out. Hunk already prepared the red and the yellow one.   
  
"Yeah?" He humms curiously, taking out a small plastic box, finding a sandwich his mother had made for him.   
  
"M-mine can be called Azul. B-because it means blue in Spanish." He says proudly, then points at the yellow one. "Yours can be called Amarillo!"   
  
Hunk pouts, lifting the toy and examining it. "I w-wanted him to be called Fred."   
  
"Fred is lame." Lance huffs, no harm to his voice.   
  
"You're lame!" Hunk bickers, and bites into his sandwich.   
  
And as if Lance could read Hunk's mind, his body freezes, and he slowly tilts his head back to look over his shoulder.   
  
  
And there she is. The new girl, that came into their kindergarten a week ago. Lance hadn't paid much attention to her, she was mostly quiet and rarely played with other kids. She had funny eyes, though. A little thin and slanted. Lance has never seen something like that before and, truth be told, he was a little uncomfortable next to her. He thought she was an alien.   
A pretty alien.   
With black hair that reached her shoulders, in soft curls. He never considered a girl pretty before (him and Hunk agreed that girls were _yuck_ ), but there was something.. unique about her.   
  
He would never approach her, though. No! Lance and Hunk don't talk to girls!  
  
Their gazes meet and Lance quickly looks back at Hunk, bottom lip pouting out and overlapping the top one. He frowns. 

"Hunk."

"Yes, Lance?" The boy whispers, chewing around his sandwich, bread crumbs stuck to his plump lips.

"Why is that girl staring at me?" Lance whispers, voice full with child like curiosity and he squints back at the girl with long black hair and purple eyes.

"Lance...That's a boy."

  
His eyes go wide and rigid. Lance splutters, coughing with a gentle squeak and covers his mouth. "Weh-what?"  
  
Hunk's eyes widen and he holds back his laugh. "Didn't you _know_?"  
  
Lance screams internally because no! He thought! They were! A girl! A _pretty_! Girl! "N-no?" He squeezes, voice small. "How do y-you know! Boys don't have long hair!"  
  
"I s-saw my mom talking to his mom! His name is Keith and he is Korean." Hunk confirms with a nod of his head.   
  
"W-what's a Korean?"  
  
Hunk shrugs, finishing his sandwich. "I d-don't know. Probably a town they're from." He says, and Lance doesn't ask anything else. And just like that, the conversation about Keith is over.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
Lance comes home that evening and asks his mom if its okay to think that a girl is pretty, but then find out that they're not a girl, but a boy, and still think they're pretty. His mom says that it is.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
He tries not to pay much attention to Keith. But he is always in his  peripheral vision, either sitting alone and drawing, or playing with girls. It's weird, Lance thinks. He gets along with girls so well, helping them build Lego blocks or play with Barbie dolls.   
  
Sometimes they catch themselves looking at each other. Lance usually sticks his tongue at him and turns around, so he never sees how the boy reacts.   
  
It was perhaps five days after Lance's discovery of Keith's pronouns that Hunk says something.   
  
"Why are you being so weird?" he asks, once his yellow lion flops on top of Lance's, and the skinnier, tan boy releases a small cry of annoyance. It was the third time in a row Hunk won!  
  
"Weird?" Lance asks, rubbing at his elbow.   
  
Hunk's eyes quickly dart behind Lance's shoulders and then back at Lance. The brown haired boy turns around, catches a glimpse of Keith's form, in the middle of the girl group, then quickly turns back.   
  
"What?" Lance squints, and pulls his blue lion from under Hunk's.   
  
"Maybe we should invite Keith t-to play with us?" He suggests, brown eyes big and round, gauging Lance's expression.   
  
"W-why? He's playing with girls." He's quick to reply, then bite the inside of his cheek softly.   
  
The older boy only squints, and leaves his yellow lion to rest on the plump curve of his belly. "He looks like he wants to play with us. He's always l-looking at u-us when we play."   
  
"N-no he doesn't." Lance says, and turns around to look at him and _woah_ , Keith is looking at them. As soon as he notices, he quickly turns his head away, black hair bobbing on his head. Lance swallows shyly. "See?"  
  
"Lance.. M-maybe he can be the red lion?" Hunk suggests, glancing at the forgotten toy.   
  
"B-but! You said it has to b-be someone who joins our club!"  
  
"He can join our c-club!"  
  
"I don't want him to join our club!" Lance wails a little, his voice getting high pitched and kids are looking at them now. Hunk shushes him, chubby hands gripping his small, bony shoulders.   
  
"C-calm down, okay!" Hunk pleads. And they don't talk about Keith anymore.  
  


  
  
It's not until next week, that they bring up Keith again.   
  
It's a rainy Tuesday, and Lance is hurrying towards his mom's car, after saying bye to Hunk. He's unaware of his backpack, remaining unzipped, and the blue toy jumping about carelessly until it falls out and drops to the rainy, dirty pavement. Lance doesn't notice.   
He forgot his umbrella and he has no time to turn around and check, his main goal is to reach his mom's car. Lance giggles noisily as his mom opens the passenger door, and he reaches out his hand for hers, and he's just about to take it when something catches his wrist and he's being pulled back. There's a shadow over his head and rain is no longer falling on his damp hair that's now a dark brown.   
  
He's under an umbrella. That's held by Keith. He's wearing a long black coat and deep red boots, holding out something and it takes a moment for Lance to realize- it's Azul.   
  
"Y-you dropped this." Keith murmurs; the first thing he's said to him, ever.   
  
Lance's eyes widen and he reaches forward uncertainly, taking the blue lion.   
"T-thank you." He says, looking up to meet Keith's gaze. His eyes are purple.   
  
"You're we-wcome." He shyes away, tongue tripping over his teeth and he can't pronounce the 'l' in welcome. He quickly turns around and runs away, and Lance is standing in the rain, looking at the toy mutely, until his mother beeps the car and he snaps out of it, then climbs in.   
  
"Who was that, honey? A friend?" ma asks.  
  
"U-uhm.. It w-was Keith."  
  
"Keith? The pretty boy?"  
  
"...T-the pretty b-boy.."  
  
  
  
  
Tomorrow, Lance tells Hunk about their little encounter.   
  
"U-um. I think, we can invite Keith t-to play with us today." He decides quietly, and Hunk beams with glee. He's been waiting for this moment, Lance could tell. They needed the third musketeer anyway.   
  
They bicker about who's going to approach him and after Lance's lip trembles, Hunk sighs and _okay, fine, i'll go ask him.  
  
_ Lance holds his blue lion close, red one already prepared, and watches Hunk stalk towards Keith, tapping him on the shoulder. He's drawing something, and looks only slightly startled when Hunk's murmurs a soft apology.   
  
He can see them talking and Hunk is pointing at his yellow lion, then back at Lance, and the brown haired boy quickly looks away, pretending he wasn't looking their way at all. He peeks at them again, and he sees Keith smile and nod, and why was he getting so _nervous?_  
  
His small palms are clammy and he tries not to touch the red lion too much, not to leave his sweat on it. He hears them chatter and giggle and soon enough, there are two shadows looming over him. Lance looks up.   
  
"Keith, this is Lance. Lance, this is Keith!" Hunk introduced them as if they didn't know each other yet. Lance nods and smiles, and Keith is just as shy.   
"Keith knows those l-lions! His friend has the black one!" Hunk proclaims after they sat down in a circle, and the red lion was handed to Keith.   
  
Purple eyes boy smiles softly. "Y-yeah.. It's a.. Vo-Vowtron robot.." He says, and Lance thinks its sweet how he can't pronounce one letter.   
  
"Red is my favorite.." He adds, when Hunk and Lance keep looking at him in awe.   
  
"c-call it Rojo. It means red in Spanish." Lance suggests, and Keith smiles and nods.   
  
"Rojo s-sounds coowl!"  
  
  
  
Lance had never had so much fun in one day. It turns out that Keith is pretty loud and competitive himself, just like Lance. Their lions end up racing and competing against each other, and for the first time, Hunk is not the winner, but Keith. His laugh is high pitched and he doesn't try to keep it down, but instead lets loose and clutches his stomach, bending over. His hair gets into his eyes a lot but his pale, tubby hands are moving it away and he's sweeping his bangs to the side; Lance is awed by the gesture.   
  
He finds everything about Keith so intriguing and interesting. He's a new friend, new person and he can't help himself, he want to get to _know him_.   
  
Hunk does get a little jealous; Keith and Lance are getting along as much as they bicker, which is every day. They're a weird combination, red and blue, ice and fire, but somehow they make their friendship work. Something that has once been a due, now's a trio and Hunk and Lance can't be happier to have someone like Keith join their club.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
"Your birthday is soon." Hunk says one day, sitting on Lance's bed and munching on a cookie. "Are you planning a party?"  
  
Lance shrugs, sitting by the table, practicing his writing. "I don't know. I will ask my mom." He answers eventually.   
"I don't know who to invite. My cousins will come anyway but I don't have many friends... You and Keith only." He says. It feels nice calling Keith his friend.  
  
"Maybe you can tell Keith to invite Shiro?" Hunk suggests. Shiro is, as they have found out few weeks ago, Keith's friend who owned the black lion. But he was older than them, already going into primary school.   
  
"Yeah! He can tell him to bring the black lion so we can all play." Lance grins and Hunk agrees. And so, they already planned his whole birthday party.   
  
  
His mom agreed with the plan and, two weeks later, it was Lance's birthday. He dressed super nicely for kindergarten; wearing a neat blue button up and black jeans, with his new white sneakers. He asked his mom to gel his hair and he ended up with funny looking spikes. The day was beautifully sunny and everything seemed perfect. He couldn't wait to see Hunk and Keith today. It was going to be the best day ever!  
  
Except, Keith doesn't show up in kindergarten today. Lance tries not to look too disappointed; no one forgot about his birthday and everyone congratulated him. Hunk brought him sweets and a little golden crown to wear around, making absolutely everyone notice him. During every recess, he keeps glancing at the door, as if waiting for Keith to show up.   
  
  
His birthday party starts at eight, and almost everyone is there, at 7:55 pm. Everyone except Keith.   
  
"Come on, sweetie. Everyone's waiting." His mom joins him in the hall. She lays a hand on his small shoulder and squeezes. Lance is tired of waiting, he's been sitting in the hall for the past fifteen minutes but everyone who needed to be here was already here but _why, why wasn't Keith coming? Where was he?  
  
_ "He probably wasn't able to come.." His mom smiles warmly, but Lance only shakes his head.   
  
"He promised, má." Lance says stubbornly, and squeezes Azul in his hand.   
  
"I'm sure he has a good reason why he couldn't show up. You will see him tomorrow, okay?"  
  
"But I--"  
  
"Lance, it's rude towards your guests." He says, her voice more firm now, ordering. "Come with me, alright? Let's go." Her squeeze is no longer soothing, and he nods fearfully, turning around. But not leaving before he throws one final glance at the door.   
  
  
The party is over by 10pm, and Lance, despite Keith not being there, had fun. He got many new toys from his cousins, shirts and new shoes from his aunts. His uncle bought him a new backpack for School and grandma made him the best cake ever. Hunk gave him new comics to practice reading, and Lance was in absolute love with the Marvel covers. He forgets about Keith after a while, and enjoys himself as much as the time is allowing him.   
  
  
Once the party is over, he helps his mom clean up before gets shooed up to bed. He never stayed up so late! He feels excited, maybe a little rebellious, because its past 10pm and he's still not in bed!   
He's about to climb into bed, already in his Ninja Turtles pajamas, when someone rings. It's short, as if the person hesitated for too long, as if they didn't even want to ring.   
  
"I'll get it!" He yells throughout the house; his mom is in the kitchen and he's closer to the door anyway.   
  
Lance taps over to the door and reaches for the handle, pushing it down and pulling it open.   
  
His breath stops, though, because at his door is _Keith_ and _woah_ , he _cut his hair_ and its just below his ears, and he's holding a small bag in his hand with the _most apologetic smile ever_.   
  
"H-hey. H-Happy birthday." He whispers, and Lance swallows thickly.   
  
"Hey."   
  
"Can I come in?" Keith whispers, and Lance is mesmerized by the way Keith's new hair moves. It looks so soft, he wants to touch it.   
  
"O-okay."  
  
Keith is dressed in a pair of black jeans and a red shirt, and Lance suddenly feels embarrassed by the face he's wearing his TMNT pajamas.   
  
He quickly tells his mom it's Keith and that he won't stay long, and his mom agrees, leading Keith's parents into the kitchen for a coffee and remains of cake.   
  
  
"Y-you weren't here today." Lance says when they're in his room, and he's sitting on his bed and Keith is next to him, and this is the first time he's at his house.   
  
"I k-know.. I'm sorry.. M-my granny d-died and we had to go to the funerawl.." He whispers, voice timid and shy.  
  
Lance's eyes widen. "O-oh! keith I'm..s-sorry, I didn't know."  
  
"It's..fine.. I didn't w-want to go but my mom made me.. I didn't want to miss your birthday." he admits, shuffling his feet together, looking at his lap.   
  
Lance can't be mad at Keith anymore (he wasn't mad before, how _could he_ be?) "It's...okay.. H-Hunk was here and we had a lot o-of fun.. We missed you in Voltron.."  
  
Keith smiles softly, and looks up at Lance, and it's something entirely new because they're alone now, without Hunk. "I'm sorry.. I'll make it up t-to you.." He promises quietly, and then, as if he remembers: "O-oh! I have something for you!"  
  
He turns around and grabs for the little bag he'd brought. Keith sticks his hand inside and fishes for something, eventually pulling out a small, circular objects. Lance's eyes follow the movement curiously. Keith slowly shifts so he's facing Lance now, legs tucked under his butt, and he extends his hand.   
  
"This..is f-for you.. I made it." He murmured, fingers curling around a small, purple bracelet. Lance's eyes widen because it looks beautiful, smooth to the touch, and the colors are so pretty.   
  
"Y-you made this?" He asked, eyes wide and shining as he accepts the gift. He likes it the most, out of all gifts he's received today.   
  
"Yes." Keith answers, his small fingers taking Lance's wrist and turning it, so he could tie the bracelet around it. Lance shivers a little when Keith's cold fingers touch the delicate skin of his wrist. "R-red and bwue.. m-make a purpwle." He says at last. 

Brown haired boy adores the mispronounce.   
  
Lance admires the work around his wrist, he finds it the prettiest item he owns in this house. "I..love it." he answers, and looks up at Keith, and doesn't hesitate a second when he reaches forward and pulls Keith into a hug. Keith is still for a moment or two, but then he relaxes and he's melting into his touch, wrapping his arms around Lance's shoulders, squeezing tightly.   
  
They hug until Keith breaks into a fit of giggles and so does Lance. They pull away, and continue laughing. Lance keeps saying how much he loves the bracelet and each time, Keith's eyes get lighter by a shade, his smile brighter, heart warmer. He feels as if, for once, he has a true friend.   
  
"It's...a f-friendship bracelet. F-for us. D-don't take it off, okay?"  
  
"O-okay, Keith." Lance whispers, and wants to hug him again.   
  
"D-do you promise?"  
  
"I promise.."

**Author's Note:**

> lance asks keith to touch his hair later and keith lets him 
> 
> tomorrow in kindergarten they play again and lance never takes the purple bracelet off <3333


End file.
